2000 Gałuszka 2007 Gałuszka and Migaszewski 2011). Geochemical background is commonly defined as a natural concentration range of a substance in a specific environmental compartment (Matschullat et al. a local enrichment factor, is proposed for identification of sites where soils are contaminated. This investigation shows that using mean crustal element concentrations (Clarke values) as proxies of threshold values in soils are not useful for determination of strongly positive geochemical anomalies.

The results of chemical analysis have been used for evaluation of geochemical background of trace elements in the study area with the iterative 2 σ-technique. rocks points to the lithogenic source of the determined elements. Mineral and chemical composition of soils vs. Technogenic soils developed on reclaimed mine spoils show uniform spatial element distribution patterns and additionally a distinct enrichment in As, Pb, Mn, U and Zn. Hematite, goethite and gypsum are common mineral phases in soil samples. Selected samples were subjected to an X-ray diffractometry analysis on bulk soils and separated clay fractions. Soil samples were taken from 58 sites using a systematic random sampling design. Spatial distribution patterns of As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, U and Zn were determined in topsoil samples collected after 40 years of chemical remediation conducted in the inoperative “Staszic” pyrite–uranium mine in the Holy Cross Mountains, south-central Poland.

Butte mt reclaime